UIW Celebrates Women’s History Month

The UIW community is proud to celebrate Women’s History Month in line with its 2024 theme of “women who advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion.” Throughout the month of March, the University will host a variety of events featuring students, faculty and guest speakers who will demonstrate the impact that women past and present have had within the University, city, state and across the nation.

A variety of campus community members who are passionate about sharing the stories of women, uplifting their voices and addressing the issues that they face, make up UIW’s Women’s History Month committee. Dr. LuElla D’Amico, committee chair and associate professor of English, has been working with the committee for years and aspires to bring even more enthusiasm and interest each year.

“Women's History Month helps us all to pause and honor the contributions of the women who preceded us, to remember what they did to make the world a better place and to be inspired to continue that work today,” shared D’Amico.

On Feb. 26, D’Amico hosted a Zoom kick-off event, which highlighted upcoming events that the community can enjoy in observation of Women’s History Month. A few of these events have already set the celebration into motion.

On March 1, the UIW Community Convocation and Artists’ Celebration of Diversity celebrated the diversity of San Antonio through music, addressed the needs of local and global communities and empowered attending women. Guests engaged with one another as they expanded their connections, considered how to make positive future impacts and learned about the needs of their local community.

In addition to a local perspective on the impact of women, UIW Libraries is providing a global perspective through their month-long online screening of a documentary called Arise. The film highlights how women are taking the global lead on protecting and restoring the natural environment. The documentary presents the stories of a diverse group of thirteen women in five countries who have initiated solution-oriented environmental projects in their communities, towns and villages.

Upcoming events also include The Stations of the Cross of Our Day in Our Lady’s Chapel, a prayer service that will remember the women who accompanied Jesus on his journey to the cross. The community will also have the opportunity to celebrate and explore the life of the first CCVI Mexican-American religious sister in Texas, Mother Mary Claude Esparza.

“We are a university founded by women in the nineteenth century, and my research focus is on women's writing in the nineteenth century,” noted D’Amico. “Not only is my scholarly passion for women's contributions in history, but I'm also blessed enough to work at a university where I get to be a part of that history.”

Click here to see the full UIW Women’s History Month schedule of events.